Singapore, the reigning world champions and therefore the odds on favourite to lift the Women’s Team title in the table tennis events at the 19th Commonwealth Games in the Indian capital city of New Delhi, duly fulfilled their pre-tournament favourites’ tag on Friday 8th October 2010..

They beat the host nation, India, by three matches to nil at the final hurdle.

It was from the outfit of Feng Tianwei, Wang Yuegu and Li Jiawei a most professional performance.

Fielded Leading PlayersFrom the very outset, four days earlier, they had fielded their leading players. It was a policy they followed from start to finish.

There was a job to be done, a prestigious title was to be secured; it was secured in ruthless style.

Clear FavouritesPetite Mouma Das faced Feng Tianwei in the first contest of the fixture; to describe her opponent as being the favourite was not an exaggeration.

Mouma Das stands at no.211 on the current ITTF Women’s World Ranking list; Feng Tianwei is at no.3!

Partisan CrowdThe hope for Mouma Das was that the partisan crowd could lift her to new heights which could perhaps deflate Feng Tianwei; the previous week in Dubai at the U.A.E. World Team Classic in Dubai, the Singaporean had been affected by the crowd in her match against Kasumi Ishikawa of Japan.

In the Al Nasr Stadium she suffered a straight games defeat against the Japanese teenager; in the Yamuna Sports Complex, there was to be no repeat but when Mouma Das won the third she celebrated as though she had won gold and the crowd roared in ecstasy.

FocusedFeng Tianwei was not to be disturbed by her adversary’s supporters; she remained calm and concentrated to win the contest and gave Singapore the start they craved.

Next into the arena came Wang Yuegu and Shamini Kumaresan; throughout the event Shamini Kumaresan had excelled, she had moved to a new level but again Wang Yuegu it was a step to high to climb.

Too FastWang Yuegu recorded a straight games victory; she was too fast, the first to attack and dominant from start to finish.

Nevertheless, Shamini Kumaresan and her colleagues revelled in the occasion; television cameras, a splendid show court and a partisan crowd.

Revelled in AtmosphereIt was a scenario that certainly motivated Poulomi Ghatak against Li Jiawei; she won the first game before losing the next three but certainly tested her illustrious opponent.

Defeat for India but great pride at having reached the final, the favourites had prevailed, never seriously challenged.